Britain calls on Russia to release Ukrainian political prisoners

The United Kingdom has called on the Russian Federation to release four Ukrainian political prisoners, namely Oleh Sentsov, Oleksandr Kolchenko, Oleksandr Shumkov and Volodymyr Balukh, who are on hunger strike in Russian prisons over Russia's continued detention of Ukrainian political prisoners.

"We are deeply concerned about the welfare of the four Ukrainian nationals held by Russia, who are on hunger strike in protest against Russia's continued detention of Ukrainian political prisoners. Their imprisonment, and that of many more Ukrainians who have been jailed by Russia, appears politically motivated. We call on the Russian authorities to release them immediately," according to a statement on Ukrainian political prisoners held by Russian authorities, published on the official website of the UK's government.

The abovementioned four Ukrainian prisoners expressed disagreement with the annexation by Russia of Ukraine's Crimea and were imprisoned on trumped-up charges.

The UK continues to insist that Russia's control over Crimea remains illegal and illegitimate, and is a flagrant violation of a number of Russia's international commitments.

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